La terza edizione, quella del 2000: un possibile "ur-text" del progetto La Nptte della Taranta

The paper provides a survey on first editions - from 1998 to 2001 - of the the well-known festival called La Notte della Taranta, one of the most important events dedicated to local musical traditions in Europe. Born rather extemporaneously in summer of 1998, as a unique event in a single day, during the night, it is transformed over time to become a Festival of extended duration, with specific articulation in several concerts, culminating in a final concert that is held in the village of Melpignano, in the called “Grecìa Salentina”, where in some villages are still spoken Greek dialects. From the beginning, the Festival La Notte della Taranta was marked by an important “public discourse” on possible ways “to patrimonialize” the local musical traditions, with cultural and political positions strongly opposed, gradually changed in line with the growing success of the program itself. In particular, the edition of 2000, represented a new perspective on the organization, distribution and on the selection of cultural events and musical performances, which has survived essentially unchanged until today.